The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing

20 November 2009

Missoula, Montana

This is a response to Lori Harfenist’s The Resident video, “The Next Big Thing”.

 

I was trying to think of something witty to say as to it being something unpopular or obscure, but for a moment I was interrupted about the reality of what it could be.  Then it was plain and simple what it is.  It's you Lori!  It's the millions of people that upload a piece of themselves to the internet each day.  Whether it's someone singing like "Miranda Sings" or Charlie biting his brother's finger or just some really good free runners, it's us.

With reality TV becoming the big slice of popular viewing, American Idol indulged our vocal and visual interests.  A lot of the TV shows that are really popular right now don’t have too many stories lines outside the realm of what many people’s daily lives might encounter. 

We are the next big thing.  Everyday individuals.  Yeah, some of these individuals are going on to be big, but most people don't latch on to them like we use to and starts looking toward the direction of the next hopefully that just might be a friend, neighbor, classmate or coworker of ours.

Look how many podcasts there are of individuals or a few people sharing something of interest or a passion of theirs for little to no pay at all to the world.  I don't have to say anything about YouTube!  The internet has connected the world.  People are less interested in the nicely boxed products big industry puts out.  People are searching out people just like them.  Some of the most viral videos on YouTube are of "just some person" doing their thing.  Take "Evolution of the Dance".  It makes us feel closer to our fellow humans and gives us a better feeling about what we can do as an individual. 

Also, look where the politics in the U.S. is trying to head.  It's trying to head down to a "grassroots" level—now some of these roots aren’t getting along well at all, but that’s beside the point.  This is kind of why I have a hard time getting why some think Socialism is bad and evil.  It's about looking out for the good of its people, as a whole.  It's not Nazis or Communists (even though Communists are a part of Communism, which is not Socialism--something else that makes me go cross-eyed). 

Anyways, we are headed in a direction of the individual again.  People are getting sick of corporations putting out crap, destroying competition (namely the little guys--US!), making insane amounts of money and not caring about who or what they hurt because of it.

We're starting to think about what we are doing to the environments around us and how we can better coexist. 

We are finally looking for ourselves.  Yeah, some of us will always be too lazy or greedy for that, but as long as a majority keeps looking around us and not over or beyond us, we'll all be better off...that isn't until it's not cool anymore or until an asteroid or climate destabilization wipes us out : )

Thanks for making me think about this Lori!

--Adam